Gardner looks toward second solar project

With one solar project in its beginning stages, the city is thinking about a second project.

Mayor Mark P. Hawke said the city is looking at designating several parcels of land off Mill Street as a district under zoning, which would allow a large scale ground-mounted project. The land would be where the city has removed old mill buildings that were part of the former S. Bent Bros. Furniture Co.

The city has a 2.5-megawatt solar array in the beginning stage of being installed off West Street. This would be the second. About 30 acres are available for development in the Mill Street corridor. The solar array would use about a third of it. A 10-acre lot that was the former Garbose Salvage Co. development will be kept for other types of commercial development.

Mr. Hawke said the Mill Street project was initially planned as a 1.5-megawatt solar array and had to be scaled back because one of the five parcels identified to be included in the new zoning district has an unclear title.

It went from 1-1/2 megawatts to one, Mr. Hawke said.

The zoning change was approved by the Planning Board after a public hearing Tuesday. It is expected to go before the City Council at its Feb. 19 meeting. A company has been identified as interested in doing the project. The planning board has indicated there is an April deadline for financing for the project.

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